Sunday, March 21, 2010

Signs & Symptoms To Watch For After Bowel Surgery

I might have caught my obstruction sooner if my doctor had told me what to watch for after she discharged me following my small bowel(intestine) resection. Then I would not have thought it was the flu. Here's a list for anyone interested:

Vomiting (possibly with nausea) - make note if there is blood in the vomit, this usually looks like dark coffee grinds.

Fever.

Change in pain - cramping pain or sharp pains that are new.

Constipation or new diarrhea. If you are not passing any stool or gas call your doctor asap.

Blood in your stools (looks almost black).

Lightheadedness or dizziness.

Infection around the incision site: redness, pus, odour.

This is not an exhaustive list- there may be more things but these are the ones I know about. Hope this is helpful.

1 comment:

These are really good tips. I have also heard that if you feel a ripple through your lower stomach when going to the bathroom, almost like waves when a rock is thrown into a lake, that it could be a blockage starting to form, because things are getting caught and your bowels are trying to spasm them out. This is what I always start to look for when I notice things are getting backed up a bit.

Having a blockage or obstruction is one of my worst fears with Crohn's Disease and is something everyone should know about, yet I find so many don't even realize it can happen. It is one of the more deadly complications, however.

About Me

I am an IT professional, a mom, and a business owner living in Canada. I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease in August 2008 and I feel the compulsion to blog about it. Hopefully I can be helpful to others. Oh, and did I mention I'm going to kick Crohn's Disease's butt? Hell yeah!